Joseph Bowie

Joseph Bowie (born October 17, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist and vocalist. The brother of trumpeter Lester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk group Defunkt and for membership in the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
Career
Bowie was greatly influenced by his older brothers, saxophonist Byron Bowie and trumpeter Lester Bowie. His first international tour was with Oliver Lake of the Black Artists Group in 1971. During this time in Paris, he worked with Alan Silva, Frank Wright, and Bobby Few. He also worked with Dr. John in Montreux in 1973. He moved to New York City, and with the help of Off Broadway Theater impresario Ellen Stewart he established La Mama children's theater. He performed with Cecil Taylor, Human Arts Ensemble, Nona Hendryx, Leroy Jenkins, Vernon Reid, Stanley Cowell, Sam Rivers, Philippe Gaillot, Dominique Gaumont and Ornette Coleman. In 1976 he moved to Chicago, where he led bands for Tyrone Davis and other R&B artists.
Returning to New York City in 1978 he began singing with punk and funk musician James Chance and the Contortions. Defunkt was born during that time. During the next 25 years, Defunkt recorded 15 albums. Bowie has collaborated with Jean-Paul Bourelly and Jamaaladeen Tacuma. He has performed "big band funk" arrangements with Ed Partyka at Music School Lucerne, Barbary Coast Ensemble at Dartmouth College, JazzArt Orchestra, and the HR Frankfurt Radio Big Band. The first Defunkt Big Band debuted in 1999 in New York City at the Texaco Jazz Festival sponsored by the Knitting Factory.
In 2003, he moved to the Netherlands where he met Hans Dulfer and was introduced to the Dutch music scene. He has performed with Hans and Candy Dulfer and also performs as guest with the Saskia Laroo Band, Naked Ears, Monsieur Dubois, Emergency Room, Funkateer, Seven Eleven, and Almost Three.
In 2014 he produced Sax Pistols Allergy for the U.S (ZIP Records) with lyricist Hilarius Hofstede and musicians Yuri Honing, Luc Houtcamp, Chazzy Green, Bart Wirtz, Koen Schouten, James White and Defunkt rhythm section of Kim Clarke, Tobias Ralph, and Rocco Zifarelli. In 2009 he created Defunkt Mastervolt with Paris-based musicians Linley Marthe, Rocco Zifarelli, Emma Lamadji, Michael Lecoq, and Jon Grandcamp. The album Defunkt Mastervolt was released in 2015 on ZIP Records.
Robin van Erven Dorens directed the documentary In Groove We Trust about Bowie's life.
Discography
As leader
Heroes (DIW, 1990)
As sideman
With Lester Bowie
1974 Fast Last!
1999 American Gumbo
With James Chance
1981 Live in New York
2000 White Cannibal
2003 Irresistible Impulse
With Defunkt
1980 Defunkt
1982 Thermonuclear Sweat
1988 In America
1992 Crisis
1994 Cum Funky
1994 Live & Reunified
1994 Live at the Knitting Factory NYC
1995 A Blues Tribute: Jimi Hendrix & Muddy Waters
2016 Live at Channel Zero
With Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
Ancestral Song (Silkheart, 1988)
Hang Tuff (Open Minds, 1991)
Dance with the Ancestors (Chameleon, 1993)
21st Century Union March (Silkheart, 1997)
The Continuum (Delmark, 1997)
Papa's Bounce (CIMP, 1998)
Freedom Jazz Dance (Delmark, 1999)
With Oliver Lake
1975 Heavy Spirits
2003 Cloth
2017 Live at A-Space 1976
With others
1972 Red, Black & Green, Solidarity Unit, Inc.
1972 Whisper of Dharma, Human Arts Ensemble
1973 In Paris, Aries 1973, Black Artists Group
1975 For Players Only, Leroy Jenkins
1975 Fresh, Frank Lowe
1975 The Flam, Frank Lowe
1976 Ntu: Point from Which Creation Begins, Oliver Lake
1977 Streets of St. Louis, Charles Bobo Shaw
1992 Under the Wire, Michael Marcus
1993 Highlights: Live in Vienna, Vienna Art Orchestra
1994 Sacred Common Ground, Don Pullen
1997 Junk Trap, Charles Bobo Shaw
1999 Inspiration, Sam Rivers
1999 Culmination, Sam Rivers
2000 Beyond the Sky, Yusef Lateef
2001 Funky Donkey, Vols. 1 & 2, Luther Thomas
2002 Just Add Water, Bobby Previte
2002 Trance Atlantic (Boom Bop II), Jean-Paul Bourelly
2003 H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box, Alan Silva
2007 Transmigration, Kahil El'Zabar
2009 Funked Up!, Candy Dulfer
References
External links
Official website
Musicians from St. Louis
American jazz trombonists
Male trombonists
1953 births
Living people
DIW Records artists
American Buddhists
Nichiren Buddhists
Jazz musicians from Missouri
21st-century trombonists
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble members
Human Arts Ensemble members
Sackville Records artists